December 29, 2013 by Mal and Rita

Worcester Annual Victorian Christmas Fayre 2013

Hello, hello!

Welcome back everybody. We are almost at the end of another year and it’s hard to believe how quickly those 12 months have gone. Thank you so much for your comments, likes, clicks, tweets, re-tweets, honorable mentions on various social media. A fact that we have such dedicated and caring readership is really mind-blowing and truly humbling at the same time. Setting up Vanadian Avenue nearly 4 years ago, we have never thought that we would be this popular and still going strong. So thank you once again for everything – we will try hard to write more, present more varied topics and generally become even better in 2014.

Worcester Christmas Fayre 2013 logo

Nowadays, it is almost expected for bloggers to summarize the past year in the last days of December. You can find hundreds of posts about best nights out, best shows people have been to, plays they have seen, best TV series they watched, best blogs they wrote – a whole 365 days limited to TOP10’s of this or that. We don’t like that trend and we try to establish our own end-of-the-year tradition. Instead of picking up the best of the bests, we concentrate on events that are worth writing about.

Usually, it takes us a week or two to publish a review of an event that we have attended. Sometimes, however, we are unable to do it for various reasons. In 2013 we had some serious excuses: illness, hospital stay due to thyroid operation, too much work during daytime, being tired. Believe us, running a blog is like having a part time job on the side. If you want to prepare good quality content for your readers, you need to research, write and promote it all by yourself – and for that you need time. The end of the year is a perfect time for us to prepare all those entries that we wanted to share with our readers and we never had the opportunity to finish. We will start summing up 2013 with two part review of Worcester Victorian Christmas Fayre 2013

Official Christmas Fayre Program for 2013

Last year, we have visited the Christmas Fayre for the first time and boy, it made a huge impression on us. It was our first Victorian market since moving to the UK and the costumes, carol singing in the streets, stalls, mulled wine and all around Christmas cheer were unforgettable. We promised ourselves to return again and that’s exactly what we did. Last year, the Victorian Fayre was organized by Worcester City Council and Worcester Chamber of Commerce. This year, the 21st Worcester market was prepared only by the Chamber of Commerce and we noticed some huge changes. Before we will tell you more, please take a look at our previous review:

https://cocamidemea.wordpress.com/2013/02/22/the-wondrous-worcester-victorian-christmas-fayre/

The 21st Victorian Fayre lasted for four days. The grand opening took place on Thursday, 28th of November exactly at 15:00. It started with a huge parade of reenactors, magistrate workers, historical societies‘ members and exhibitors dressed in beautiful Victorian inspired costumes. The parade marched through the High Town, spent some time in the front of Guild Hall, sang few carols and ended with a mayor’s talk near the Cathedral. The next three days (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) were dedicated mostly to shopping and exhibiting, with only couple of additional attraction scattered across the city. The opening times were:

Friday, 29th of November: 11:00am – 21:00 pm
Saturday, 30th of November: 10:00am – 20:00pm
Sunday, 1st of December: 11:00am – 17:00pm

Helen King the events manager within the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce can be contacted if you need any more information about the Fayre. For stall and coach bookings, and all other enquiries relating to the event please contact Helen at:

Email: helenk@hwchamber.co.uk or events@hwchamber.co.uk
Telephone: 0845 641 1641
Official websites: http://www.hwchamber.co.uk/worcestervictorianchristmasfayre and http://www.visitworcestershire.org/about-worcestershire/Worcester-Christmas-Fayre.aspx
Official Twitter: https://twitter.com/worcxmas
Official Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WorcesterFayre

Map of the Fayre and information about the parking

We have visited the Fayre during the weekend (both Saturday and Sunday) and unfortunately, we are sad to report that the magic we felt last year is gone. The results might be much more impressive than 12 months ago (over 150 stalls and nearly 120.000 visitors) but something was missing. The first thing we noticed was a bit of a chaos around the market – exhibitors were looking for their designated places, some of them were very angry and upset to find other stalls already set up in completely wrong spaces. Rita witnessed that several fully prepared stalls had to be dissembled, moved from one end of the street to the other and re-assembled again. Those who live in Worcester know how narrow the High Street is and people carrying huge wooden structures on their arms above the heads of passer-byes is simply an accident waiting to happen. We have to admit that the voluntary workers and festival stewards were very effective and could quickly resolve any dispute. The problem is, there was not enough manpower for a market of this size. On Sunday morning, a big delivery van has been parked illegally in the middle of the High Street and the craftsmen were unable to open their stalls. Nobody knew how to contact the stewards and where to find them. The stalls owners made polite calls and announcements through megaphone every 2 minutes trying to locate the owner of the vehicle, but they irritated the living daylights out of the visitors and other sellers. Police had to be called and even they had troubles contacting the organizers. Another thing we noticed was on Saturday. One of the biggest food places on the market (we will kindly not mention their name, but their stall was located at the end of the High Street, close to the roundabout and next to the entrance to Pizza Express Restaurant) had an entire roasted pig on a grill. The deep frying container full of hot oil was left unsecured in the middle of the pathway and everyone had full access to it. The delicious smell made kids and animals approach the stand and the young lady who was left in charge didn’t see anything inappropriate in her company’s set up. Again, it took a police officer to explain her the hazard of leaving the grill not properly secured.

List of stands during the Victorian market

As we were wandering around the market, we also had a chance to speak to the stall owners themselves as well as the public. The owners complained about the problems with electricity that went out twice, leaving stalls and food points near the carousels without any light (Saturday and Sunday evenings). Public was not pleased with high prices and lack of information from the Chamber. The new organizers need to work really hard next year to improve the communication between the exhibitors and the public, they also need to hire and train more volunteers and stewards. Health and safety is not just a slogan!

Now, we are done with complaining. As usual, visiting the market is an amazing experience. You can find almost everything on the stalls: clothes, handmade chocolates, beers and ales from every corner of the UK, Christmas decorations, wreaths, toys, jewellery, candles and of course the food. From the roasted pigs to exclusive puddings with edible real gold flakes, Lebanon dishes, French crepes and German smoked sausages. If you don’t have idea what to buy your loved ones as a present, the market is a place to go. When the darkness falls, stalls are lit with candles and multicolored lights, black and white buildings glimmer and sparkle, the whole town turns into the Diagon Alley from Harry Potter series 🙂 Thousands of people move from one booth to another, laugh and exchange comments – believe us, being a part of such crowd is not only a pleasure but a real Christmas privilege! Victorian markets offer more than just shopping for gifts or eating. This year the organizers invited several different groups of entertainers that created a truly unique atmosphere. We mentioned historical societies, Victorian-era enthusiasts dressed in wonderfully detailed dresses and full suits with hats and canes. Unquestionably, our favorite group was The Worcester Steam Punk association that arrived at the opening parade in a strange machine that could only be described as a cross between a carriage, sedan chair, bike and a rickshaw. We had a chance to speak to the lady operating the machine, but we didn’t catch her name. If anybody recognizes her, please let us know! We would like to give her a proper credit.

Strange Victorian vehicle and its driver

Strange Machine in all its splendor and glory

The machine was escorted on both sides by a group of cyclists that shouted hellos and greetings in three languages: English, German and French, probably to welcome foreign guests that arrived at the market. Worcester is twinned with German city of Kleve, the Parisian commune of Le Vesinet and its larger American namesake Worcester, Massachusetts. While the German and English sentences were correct, the French ones were completely misplaced. A lady screaming “Bon jour” at night gave the French delegation a lots of reasons to laugh, especially if she remained deaf to the public correcting her with “Bon soir”.

Other groups worth mentioning were the The Salvation Army Brass Band that performed with Worcester Cathedral Voluntary Choir, Victorian Carol singers (a wandering group of artists that sang traditional Christmas carols among the stalls) and Worcester Ukelele Club that played beloved British tunes in exotic arrangement. For a second, we felt like being on a Hawaiian beach, but instead of a cold drink, we had a cup of hot chocolate in our hands!

Talking about Victorian themed entertainment, we have to mention a real Victorian galloper! A galloper is British merry-go-round with horses in galloping positions, instead of more common “standing” ones. The horses move up and down while the carousel goes round, giving the people a sensation of riding a real animal. We didn’t have a chance to ride it (the line was ridiculously long for us to wait), but we have taken a lovely picture:

Victorian Galloper

More information about the market and other attractions can be find in the official Worcester Fayre brochures:
http://issuu.com/visitworcestershire/docs/christmas_fayre_programme_2013
http://www.visitworcester.com/img/Stall%20Listings.pdf

Please return in the new year for more news and reviews. Part two will be dedicated to our favorite sellers and their stands.
For now have a balloon and don’t forget to enjoy the New Years party!

Anybody wants a balloon?

See you soon folks!
XXX
Rita and Malicia Dabrowicz

December 24, 2013 by Mal and Rita

The cat collector or Kat-a-log part 20

Hey, hey, meow, meow!

Happy Holidays everybody! Today is the Christmas Eve and according to Polish tradition, whatever you are doing today, you will be doing a whole year. Which is perfectly fine with us as we intend to continue writing the blog, collecting the cats and create more editions of Kat-a-log!

The entire team behind this artistic project would like to wish every visitor, reader or a feline a very Happy Christmas, lots of presents under the tree, lots of catnip toys, things to chase and play with, great adventures, boxes to sit in (that’s very important part of cat’s life!), great food, lots of health (visiting a vet or a doctor can be stressful and we don’t want that) and may all your human or cat dreams come true!

As usual, any comments, reviews, news, gossips and meows can be sent to our dear Rita at rdabrowicz@yahoo.com. No spam please or she will hiss at you. You can also read previous edition of Kat-a-log below by clicking on the links:

Kat-a-log Feline no. 79
Three sides of a cat: I’m on my way, Gate keeper and The most beautiful cat in the world
Country of origin: Worcester, bought as a gift in November 2013
Official name: Bell (The Lady)

The fist two cats of this Christmas edition of Kat-a-log have been made by the same artist and purchased at the 19th Annual Christmas Victorian Fayre in Worcester. We are very sad to say, we do not know the name of the lady who makes those beautiful beads artworks, but she was Chinese and had problems with understanding us. All we managed to find out was that she is the owner of a small, two-person business called Genie Beads Crafts and has a shop on Mealcheapen Street in the city center of Worcester.

The cats are made using only artistic beads and copper wire. The beads are made from high quality hardened plastic, diamond shaped and cut to resemble a gem stone. They are multicolored (white, black, red and purple) yet semi transparent: you can see the wire going through the beads and even notice the small bell rotating inside the artwork. The white cat is a girl named Bell, and she is a true lady – she wears a collar and a bow around her right ear. Looking a bit like Hello Kitty, this lovely feline was photographed outside the Brecon Cathedral in Wales.

You can learn more about the Christmas Fayre by visiting two official websites:
http://issuu.com/visitworcestershire/docs/christmas_fayre_programme_2013

I’m on my way

Gate keeper

The most beautiful cat in the world

Kat-a-log Feline no. 80
Four sides of a cat: What’s on the menu? Very berry, Do you love me? and Cats and Dogs
Country of origin: Worcester, bought as a gift in November 2013
Official name: Tramp

Kat-a-log kitten number 80 is the partner of Bell. His official name is Tramp and the pair has been named after the famous Disney move “The Lady and a trump”. In direct contrast to the snow-white Bell, Tramp is jet black and wears a red cravat. He as well has been purchased at the 19th Annual Christmas Victorian Fayre in Worcester and was photographed on the grounds of Brecon Cathedral. The first picture entitled “What’s on the menu” was taken inside the Pilgrims Tea Room located on The Cathedral Close. We have to say that the waitresses loved Tramp and even allowed him to jump into a sugar bow! And they serve a delicious bread and butter pudding there! Oh, if you are wondering about the additional picture, we can only tell you that Tramp has a bit of an attitude and wanted to send a clear message to our readers about his thoughts on dogs. This is his own opinion only and it’s not associated with our views. We might have our favorites but this is a bit of an exaggeration 🙂

Please visit their official website at: http://www.pilgrims-tearooms.co.uk/index.php

What’s on the menu?

Very berry

Do you love me?

Cats and dogs

Kat-a-log Feline no. 81
Two sides of a cat: Under the palm and dreaming and Spiky spiky world
Country of origin: USA, bought as a gift in September 2013 (Bulgaria)

This cat has been bought in September 2013 in a gift ware shop at the Sofia airport in Bulgaria. One of Malicia’s co-workers was visiting home and just couldn’t help herself when she’s seen this little creature. Even the price of 20 EUR did not scare her off – she thought it was a suitable present. She was informed that this was the last of the figurines in the series that the shop had and therefore there would be no official box. She asked how many the shop had and the reply was somehow strange – the figurines of this sort were selling like hot buns in the morning and were considered highly collectible. Whatever the stock was, it would sell within few months and new order had to be made. The cat was given to Malicia with words: “do some investigation; there should be interesting story behind it”. So that’s what we did, we did our research.

There is a story behind this figurine, Hallmark movie like story to be exact: Meet Priscilla Hillman, artist, painter, beloved children’s author and marine biology specialist. She was raised in New England with her twin sister Greta and a brother named Rick. They would spend idyllic years on Cape Cod, fishing, playing out doors and painting in the kitchen. The extraordinary childhood gave Priscilla foundations for her artistic endeavours in the future. When recovering from a serious back injury that confined her to bed for months, she created illustrations that would become her first series of collectible figurines “Cherished Teddies”. She approached the manufacturer Enesco with her idea in the late 80s and this led to a cooperation that lasts now for three decades. For Enesco, Priscilla created other series like “Calico Kittens”, “My Blushing Bunnies”, “Priscila`s Moust Tales”. Priscilla collaborates with her siblings on her collections (like the limited edition figurine named “Priscilla and Greta” for Cherished Teddies created in 1995). She is completely self -taught. She and her husband live now in a self – restored 1771 colonial house, filled with antiques and local artisan products. For many years Priscilla has been battling Lyme disease which has nearly make her blind, but she is recovering and continues to correspond with her fans.

But amazing story of Priscilla is only a part of the bigger picture. Enesco itself is also a fantastic subject for a movie! The company was created in 1958 and for 40 years has been a leader in gift ware and collectibles in US, Canada, UK and France. That quickly ended at the beginning of the economical crisis. In 2007 after the crash on the collectibles market and stock – selling scandals, Enesco had to file for bankruptcy. It is slowly raising itself – pretty much like Priscilla fighting and changing the way it has been managed. If you – like us – love art, artisan products and gift ware, you will have another reason to hate The Wall Street. They nearly killed a blooming business that has been supporting artists for generations. But back to our little fella. The figurine is part of “Calico Kittens” series which was produced between 1993-1993. It is now discontinued (or retired as it is said in the business) and considered highly collectible item! It is usually priced between 25-50 USD and usually comes with a neat box designed by Priscilla and a certificate. Unfortunately, the pieces that still remain on the market, especially in Europe, come with no box and this lowers their market price to some 20-30 USD per piece. However the demand seems to be rising and we don’t know if the series will be back into production. So hear out Olympia’s advice and grab the figurines as soon as you see them.

Artist: Priscilla Hillman
Manufacturer: Enesco
Composition: Hardened hand-painted ceramics
Official name: “Always Paws For Playtime”
Serial number: 254959 / 6C4/028
Year: 1996
Series: Calico Kittens (1993-1996) – discontinued, considered vintage
Official website: http://enesco.com/
https://www.facebook.com/enescollc

Under the palm and dreaming

Spiky, spiky world

*UPDATE* As you know, our little fella, has been purchased without an original box and leaflet. You can find the original packaging sometimes on Ebay it looks truly wonderful! We wanted to show you the box, but we were unable to find any promotional artwork released by the company. We have contacted Enesco with a request for any marketing materials they still might have, and we have received a reply! Enesco wrote: ” We have attached the only documentation we have on the line. Hopefully this will work for your needs. Thank you for your business and support!”
They have sent us two scanned pages from Gift Gallery – a very rare catalog that listed all company’s figurines from 1998! We are probably the only blog who has those pictures, so no stealing kids 🙂

Here they are for your enjoyment:

Cover of Gift Gallery – scan provided by Enesco. Thank you so very much guys!

Callico Cats collection in 1998. Those beautiful figurines are now considered vintage and very sought after.

Callico Cats collection in 1998. Those beautiful figurines, now considered vintage, are very sought after.

Kat-a-log Feline no. 82
Three sides of a cat: Just like Cheshire Cat, Hide and seek and Nice trick!
Country of origin: Wroclaw Poland, bought as a gift in 2009

Would you believe us that feline number 82 is probably the heaviest cat in Olympia’s collection? This grinning cat weights about 5kg (or 11 pounds), and is made out of two big chunks of thick ceramic, well four if you count the ears. It has been bought in 2009 in Wroclaw during the International Art Festival organized on the main city square. Rita remembers that she found the cat on a ceramic stand among garden statues of frogs and turtles. The artist who made the cat was either Australian or New Zealander and she needed to dance for the cat to be sold to her! The local customs of the artist requires the buyer to give the artist something else than just the money, so Rita decided to make few pirouettes. The price was 45 PLN (Polish zloty), the equivalent of around 5 pounds. As you can see on the below pictures, the cat has a long metal tail, perfect for hanging from the tree branches. We have to admit of breaking at least two or three of them, this fat feline is really in need of a diet!

Just like Cheshire Cat

Hide and seek

Nice trick!

Kat-a-log Feline no. 83
Three sides of a cat: Careful, the leaves are falling, Watching the skies and Fall festival
Country of origin: Bedzin Poland, bought as a anniversary gift in 2011

Cat number 83 is yet another kitten given to Olympia as a present by her husband. We have described several of them already: Kat-a-log Feline number 66 (from 17th edition), Kat-a-log Feline no. 58 (from 15th edition) and Kat-a-log Feline no. 60 (from the 16th edition). They come from the same place and were purchased in Black Red and White superstore in Bedzin. The most important quality of that store is they try to be very unique and deliver only one-of-a-kind goods to their customers. Their strategy is to order only few copies of their home decoration items and if they sell out, that’ s it – you cannot get another one. Each Black Red and White store also has a different stock , that’s why it is a good place to look for a rare gift for your loved ones. And Olympia likes adding truly special cat figurines to her collection. This particular cat has one serious fault we need to mention here. His legs are not part of the figurine – they are attached to two small metal rods and screwed into the ceramic body. This makes it impossible for the cat to stand still and the figurine keeps sliding to the right. Other than that, it is perfect and incredibly cute! The autumn photo-session was taken in local park not far away from Olympia’s flat.

Careful, the leaves are falling

Watching the skies

Fall festival

Please excuse us but we are incredibly hungry now and the Christmas dinner is waiting! Once more, have a peaceful, lovely holidays filled with joy and a lot of presents. Don’t forget to give a nice treat to your furry friends as well.

All the best for the new year!
xxx and ooo’s
Rita, Mal and Olympia Dabrowicz

December 14, 2013 by Mal and Rita

The cat collector or Kat-a-log part 19

Meow again!

Calling all cats and cats lovers! We cannot believe it has been nearly 4 months since the last Kat-a-log issue! We are truly sorry for such a big delay, and we promise not to disappoint our readers again. It is December now, the last month of 2013 and we think it is a purrrfest time for a long, big special entry about our favorite furry friends.

Holiday season is a great time for the cats to play. Christmas trees to climb, very interesting decorations to investigate or chase around the room, presents waiting to be shred to pieces… Every person sharing a house with a feline can tell hundreds of funny stories that usually involve a cat, Christmas tree and a lot of mess. Rita and Mal are happy to report that Michael once decided to admire the living room from the top of the tree. Of course, he couldn’t get back down so he meowed loudly, waking up the whole neighborhood! He also fell of the tree on several occasions and broke one in half – fun times! Salem being a real lady does not climb the trees. She usually hides among the presents and attacks the poor souls who try to steal her possessions! She is also helping herself first to the turkey or a fish and is very angry if you try to stop her! Few years ago Rita got hissed at just because she foiled a very elaborate plan to devour a whole steak in one, single bite.

If you’d like to read previous issues of Kat-a-log, please click on the links below. As usual, we welcome all comments, reviews and stories about your cats. Please send them to: rdabrowicz@yahoo.com

Kat-a-log Feline no. 73
Four sides of a cat: Sunshine, Over the fence, Feeling good and Going green
Country of origin: Bangladesh, bought as a gift at Roskilde Festival in 2004

Kat-a-log cat number 73 is not your typical house kitten. It is not even a kitten at all! This beautiful hand made adult lion (just look at his impressive mane) has been made in Bangladesh by female artisan association for CORR the Jute Works Foundation as a part of the fair trade movement to activate local communities and provide its people with a chance to gain new skills and earn money. CORR foundation has been established in 1973 and has close ties to CARITAS. Fair Trade mascots are incredibly popular especially in Scandinavia where ecologically produced toys and unique design are high demand. Rita and Mal have purchased the lion at Roskilde Festival in 2004 at the Fair Trade Market near the Pavilion stage. The cat has been made from juta plant fibers that have been woven into stiff material (resembling raw linen) that is generally used in construction and traditional crafts. The material may be a bit rough to touch, but is incredibly flexible and strong. Lion’s mane has been colored with natural mineral paint made from red clay. It also used to glow in the dark, but after nearly a decade, the luminous pigment has faded and the glow is now barely visible. The lion is practically indestructible. It survived several trips aboard (Rita took it to America and Berlin), house re-decorations and still looks brand new. It was quite expensive for a poor students on a budget trip to the Roskilde Festival (nearly 120 Danish kronen), but worth every penny

If you’d like to own one of these, they are stiff being made and can be purchased through CORR online store: http://www.cjwbd.com/Details/Toy/TOY-LION

Fairtrade Denmark official website: http://fairtrade.dk/

Sunshine

Over the fence

Feeling good

Going green

Kat-a-log Feline no. 74
Four sides of a cat: Where do we go? Autumn is here, Tall grass and Mysterious look
Country of origin: Poland, bought in 2007

Ladies and gents, meet one of the biggest cats in Olympia’s collection! This huge cat shaped money-box stands at 75 cm and has a great back-story. This is the first cat featured in Kat-a-log that has been spotted, chosen, purchased and photographed by Olympia alone. Olympia is extremely proud of her cat hunting skills and proudly displays her trophy at the top of a wardrobe in the master bedroom. Despite looking like a massive, heavy figurine, this cat is extremely fragile and has been made out of delicate clay. It had to be wrapped in protective bubbled foil to be taken outside for a photo shot. This majestic cat was purchased during a religious/arts and crafts market organized on Sunday 24th of June 2007 in Rita and Mal’s home town of Piekary Slaskie. We are truly lucky to remember the date so well, but a simple trick comes handy in refreshing our memory in this particular case! Rita and Mal used to live in St. Peter and St. Paul parish and the market is always organized on the Sunday closest to 29th of June which is celebrated as the day of martyrdom for both apostles. Celebrating the martyrdom might look a little gloom, but the annual market is filled with food, busy stalls offering toys, large crowds of people and music. Nothing morbid, just a pure, old-fashioned family activity.

Where do we go?

Autumn is here

Tall grass

Mysterious look

Kat-a-log Feline no. 75
Three sides of a cat: Playful kitten, A cat and a tree and It’s awesome to be a big yellow cat
Country of origin: Poland, bought in 2009

Kat-a-log cats number 74 and 75 have a lot of common: both were bought in the same place, they were chosen, purchased and photographed by Olympia alone and they are the biggest pieces in the entire collections. This massive, yellow cat-shaped monster is known as Sunshine. He is heavy like a ton of bricks but extremely cute, with a large grin that would make the Cheshire cat jealous. Olympia bought him on Sunday 28th of June 2009 in Piekary Slaskie, at the same market organized to commemorate the martyred deaths of St. Peter and St. Paul, the patrons of the parish where Rita and Mal have been born and lived before escaping abroad J Sadly we do not know who made the cat, but as far as we remember, Olympia has picked him from among other felines at the artist’s stall. It is safe to assume, that this gorgeous giant of a kitten has been made in Silesia. Have we ever told you that we like big hand bags, big cats and small dogs? Now you know! 😀

Playful kitten

A cat and a tree

It’s awesome to be a big yellow cat

Kat-a-log Feline no. 76
Three sides of a cat: Hi to the world, Whatever you think I did (it wasn’t me) and Sun & shade
Country of origin: Worcester, bought as a gift for Halloween 2013

Rita has spotted this black beauty on the High Street in Worcester exactly on 20th of October 2013 while shopping for birthday cards for Mal and Olympia. This very delicate, china porcelain cat was displayed proudly in the main window of Clintons Cards as a part of their Halloween decoration. It was a bit expensive, being initially priced at 25 pounds. As the time went on and Halloween got closer, the price for the cat was successively lowered, first to 20 and later to 15 pounds. At that moment, the black cat figurines (and candle holders) literally started disappearing from the store. Rita has been given the cat on 29th of October as a b-day present and it was the last item available for sale. Photo shoot for the kitty has taken a place in Hereford on 3rd of November during the Flavors of Hereford Food Festival in a secret garden on the grounds of The Cathedral School. The garden is usually closed for the public but it was opened during the festival and housed a large collection of naturalistic sculptures. While being a part of the Kat-a-log collection, the black kitten will remain in the UK in residence in Worcester

You can visit the Clinton’s Cards official website here: http://www.clintoncards.co.uk

Hi to the world

What ever you think I did (it wasn’t me)

Sun & shade

Kat-a-log Feline no. 77
Three sides of a cat: Scratch, scratch, Am I handsome? and Ready for a jump
Country of origin: Poland, won in 2010

Now, this is a story that hasn’t been published yet in any of the previous editions of Kat-a-log! A strange hybrid of metal, fake fur and ceramics, the kitten number 77 came into Rita’s possession through gambling. Yep, you have heard it correctly – to become a new owner of the cat, Rita had to participate in an annual charity lottery. The lottery ticket was priced at 5 PLN (Polish zloty) or £1 and the participants had to answer several questions correctly to win anything. Rita was very competitive and she fought like a lion to get her share. This unusual behavior attracted the attention of her c0-workers who jokingly nicknamed her “The Gambler”. As the prizes were prepared by the organizers (Altus Building management in Katowice, where Rita’s former employers were once located), we are not sure where the cat was made and by whom. A funny thing worth mentioning about this figurine is that the cat’s head is attached to a spring and it moves rapidly up and down every time the figurine is moved. Sadly, it is not visible on the pictures – what a great shame. Olympia is very fond of this incredibly weird looking cat and considers him her personal All right kids, we hope that you have enjoyed this December issue of Kat-a-log! Please stay tuned as Malicia and Olympia are working really hard to choose and edit new pictures from our archives. The next edition of your favorite cat collector magazine will be delivered shortly.

Scratch, scratch

Am I handsome?

Ready for a jump

Kat-a-log Feline no. 78
Three sides of a cat: How did you manage to find me?, Time to rest and Curious soul
Country of origin: Poland, bought as a gift in 2005

The last cat in our December special is very unique indeed. It is not a figurine, but a real (yet small) metal sculpture of a cat. The sculpture has been purchased by Olympia in early May 2005 during a family trip to Cracow. We do not remember the name of the art gallery or the name of the artist, who made the cat but the gallery was located near the Consulate General of the United States on Stolarska Street. Nobody was planning to go cat shopping on that day, as the trip was organized to help Rita apply for a business visa to the old, goode US of A. Since the visa was denied, the entire family felt that they needed a bit of feline retail therapy. Do not worry, Rita got her visa in the end and two months later she went off to NYC for a glorious three weeks of work and sightseeing. Olympia happily added another kitten to her ever-growing collection and to this day, the kitten reminds her of the social injustices her daughter had to go through 😀

The sculpture is made of cold cast aluminum with craft wire for whiskers. It stands at 10 cm tall and 20 cm wide. If you recognize this artwork and know who the artist is, please do contact us! We would be much obliged. Thank you in advance.

How did you manage to find me?

Time to rest

Curious soul

All right kids, we hope that you have enjoyed this December issue of Kat-a-log! Please stay tuned as Malicia and Olympia are working really hard to choose and edit new pictures from our archives. The next edition of your favorite cat collector magazine will be delivered shortly.

Until then,
xxxxx
Rita, Malicia and Olympia Dabrowicz

December 7, 2013 by Mal and Rita

Doctor Who: After and Before

Geronimo!! (or Allons-y if you prefer)

Welcome back Who-vians! We are so happy to be able to write about our Time Lord again. The Day is saved, new countdown to Christmas Special is now on and the weekend celebration was just fantastic, as The Ninth Doctor would have described it. We had so much fun counting down the days and writing short description for every incarnation that now we seriously consider preparing something more about the companions or the monsters. Of course, don’t be alarmed, Vanadian Avenue will not suddenly turn into Whovian Avenue. We have plenty of topics to cover, although we love our show and it is mighty tempting to return to cover it – just for the sheer fun of it. Now, since we mention it, The Monstrous Monster Encyclopaedia entry just before Christmas sounds like a splendid idea. Just think: Daleks, Cybermen, Time Lords, Weeping Angels, Whisper Men, The Silence, Great Intelligence and Zygons under your own Christmas tree. That would be a nice Christmas Mayhem in the making.

The official Christmas poster without the title – if you are gonna torture the fans, do it slowly. They enjoy it. We ain’t kidding you.

Anyway, if you have been traveling in the TARDIS among the stars, took a holiday to Spain to scuba dive or just spent the last two weeks living under a rock, please take a look at the previous entries about The Doctor. You can find links to all three entries below:

https://cocamidemea.wordpress.com/2013/11/22/countdown-to-the-day-of-the-doctor/
https://cocamidemea.wordpress.com/2013/11/23/count-to-the-day-of-the-doctor-part-2/
https://cocamidemea.wordpress.com/2013/11/24/count-to-the-day-of-the-doctor-part-3/

As you know, The Doctor likes when a good plan comes together. All he needs is a crazy idea, a bit of luck, some spare parts, his sonic screwdriver and another world is saved. Now, Rita and Mal are delighted when a good marketing campaign brings a lot of attention, recognition and money. We have to admit, the marketing team hired to prepare the entire advertising and PR for “The Day of the Doctor” worked miracles. It is another recent example how a successful campaign should look like. The fruits of their labour are sweet and truly amazing – Doctor Who 50 years celebration is regarded as one of the most successful promotional campaigns ever prepared in the history of British entertainment business. Obviously, the job is much more easier when you are promoting beloved s-f series that become a part of British heritage in comparison to life insurance policies or miraculous sandwich makers. Well known titles can promote themselves with just a little help from the marketing co-ordinators. However, it is not always the case. A good idea for promotion and hard working professional team are only the half of real success. We have seen great projects going down the drain even if the marketing campaign was flawless and the people behind it worked really hard. A delicate balance must be established between professional work and the enthusiasm of target audience. Without fans involvement, any campaign would simply fail. Who-vians have not only enthusiasm and desire to see the series progressing, but also love and the deepest respect for creators, writers and actors. Combined forces of marketing team and Doctor Who lovers made everything possible. The Earth’s protector and the last Time Lord is now the hottest thing since the sliced bread – and the whole planet enjoys being conquered. This gives us a perfect opportunity to take a closer look at the cult show from a marketing perspective. We entitled this blog “After and Before” and hope to address the dynamic changes taking place after the screening of “The Day of the Doctor “and before the new TV series that is set to debut in the third quarter of 2014.

Christmas poster with the title: the last episode is entitled “The Time of The Doctor”

Detailed version of the poster we posted in the last blog - you can see all enemies now in the background

Detailed version of the first poster released earlier in November – can see all enemies now in the background

AFTER (“THE DAY OF THE DOCTOR”)

Now let’s take a look at the 50 years celebration episode in numbers. Statistics are very important as they give you a clear picture how well the campaign went. We know that The Day of the Doctor was honoured with an official certificate from Guinness World Record as “the world’s largest ever simulcast of a TV drama”. The certificate has been handed to Steve Moffatt, Jenna Coleman and Matt Smiths on Sunday, 24^th of November during Doctor Who Weekend gathering in London. But that’s just the beginning. Few days after the premiere, official revenue numbers started pouring in and oh boy, they were impressive. Seven days later everybody knew that “The Day of the Doctor” was a tremendous success – proving once again that Doctor Who is something more than just your average s-f TV show. From the first episode released back in 1963, the series broke stereotypes, introduced bold ideas and provided intelligent entertainment for whole family. Those who doubted that the Doctor can captivate the attention and hearts of millions of viewers in XXI century were highly mistaken. The Doctor is alive, kicking and more popular than ever.

1.TV – The Day of The Doctor aired simultaneously in 94 countries including .Viewers could watch it on BBC1 (in the UK), BBC America (USA, Canada and Mexico) and BBC Entertainment or local equivalent (the rest of the world). The broadcast was available through regular TV (basic option), 3DTV (a special 3D screen was needed though) and online (through BBC Iplayer). In the UK, the Four Doctor Combo starring David Tennant, Matt Smith, John Hurt and Tom Baker gathered stunning 10.2 million viewers on 23^rd of November, becoming the highest watched show during the weekend. Additional 2.6 million viewers saw the repeated episode on Sunday afternoon, bringing the weekend viewing figures to nearly 13 millions.

The time is up… The Doctor’s dead, long live the 12th Doctor!

In USA, the official figures for 75-minute episode were at 2.4 million viewers on 23^rd of December and rose to 3.6 millions after Sunday repeat. It was the biggest viewing success for BBC America ever and the cable channel is hoping to beat it with the highly anticipated Christmas episode. This is an excellent result taking into consideration that due to time zones and time differences, American fans were not watching the episode in the evenings which usually is the most preferable (and the most profitable) time slot. The Day of the Doctor was aired at 14:50 pm in the afternoon on the east cost and at 11:50 am in California.

In Australia, nearly 700.000 viewers turned to ABC1 on Saturday and another 1.3 million of people saw the repeat on Sunday night bringing the total count to nearly 2 millions. Canadian results were slightly smaller – almost 1,4 millions of people watched the episode over the weekend on Canadian Channel called Spice. This was enough to become the channel’s largest audience ever. Although BBC has not released any overall officials statistics for the premiere, some newspapers like The Guardian and New York Times estimate that the final count could be something around 20 millions of viewers around the world. Steve Moffett has called the results as “stellar” and it’s hard not to agree with him.

2. IPLAYER – For a moment, we intended to add the online viewing statistics to the TV ones but we have changed our minds. Watching movies online on your computer or laptop feels kind of similar, yet it is something completely different. Digital watching becomes more and more popular with tablets, smartphones, phablets and other portable devices that allows users to access the Internet from any place on our globe. And while the TV is still the dominating force on the market, the number of people who no longer have a TV at home is also growing rapidly by each year. In the end, we decided to present the online official figures separately.

You don’t want to mess with The Doctor

In the UK alone, 1.5 millions of people logged to BBC IPlayer to watch the “Day of the Doctor” being broadcast online. This broke another record as now the Doctor Who anniversary episode is the most watched movie/drama ever aired online on BBC 1 website. That’s not all. The Doctor has also beaten the previous record set by the opening ceremony of The London Olympic Games (1.2 million of viewers) just on Saturday and when we add the numbers from reruns on Sunday (additional 500.000 viewers), we receive a stunning results of 2 millions people choosing the digital player over the traditional TV.

Generally speaking, The Internet community has been very good for the Doctor. Anniversary episode reached number one on Apple’s iTunes purchase list (in the US) and Amazon’s television chart in the UK. Based on sales (sadly we do not have exact figures from Amazon or iTunes), it ranked as the most downloaded episode of 2013 for both BBC 1 and BBC America. Don’t forget that “The Day of The Doctor” is not the only video available through IPlayer. Two minisodes (mini episodes) released before 23^rd of November entitled “The Night of the Doctor” (19^th of November) and “The Last Day (Fall of Arcadia)”, released on 22^nd of November, have been seen more than three million times. “ The Night of The Doctor” is probably the most popular thanks to its star, the iconic Paul McGann who reprised his role as The Eight Doctor. Paul made such a huge impression on viewers that a petition on Change.org has been started in order to force Steve Moffatt to create a spin off series dedicated to The Eight Doctor. It has been signed so far by more than 17.000 people and we hope, it could result in at least one more web episode being filmed.

You can sign the petition here:
https://www.change.org/petitions/steven-moffat-paul-mcgann-create-a-series-of-live-action-eighth-doctor-adventures

Other Doctor Who related programs also had a fantastic online viewings: Peter Davison’s “The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot” (starring Davison himself, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy and Paul McGann) have been seen by more than 700.000 people and Mark Gatis biopic “An Adventure in Space and Time” by additional 600.000 viewers.

3. CINEMA – After a very successful run on TV and on the Internet, it’s time to take a look at the financial results from the cinemas. “The Day of the Doctor” have been screened all over the world, but only 15 countries bought the rights to show the movie in 3D versions. They were: Ireland, UK, USA, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Germany, Russia, Brazil, Mexico, Ecuador, Spain, Sweden, Norway and Iceland.

Jenna Coleman as the impossible companion, Clara Oswin-Oswald

In USA, the 75 minute episode was screened in 660 theatres as Monday event only. Tickets were quite expensive (15 USD per one) but that didn’t stop the fans from buying them at the speed of light. While most venues were sold out within two or three hours after the tickets became available, some cinemas claimed that it took about 15-20 minutes for all tickets to be gone. We cannot verify their claims, but if they are true, then the Time Lord can certainly feel proud. The average ticket revenue per cinema was $7,155, with 320.000 tickets sold in general. The official box office results for American market now stand at $4.8millions (that also includes limited Saturday screening that grossed to $208.000). This amazing result placed “The Day of the Doctor” at number two at the box office, just behind The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. It is worth noting that the second installment in the Hunger Games Trilogy had a much wilder release (4,163 cinemas) but made considerable less money per screen on average ($2,623).

In the UK, the anniversary episode grossed to £1.8 million and was placed at number 3 at the box office behind the Hunger Games: Catching Fire and Gravity (starring Hollywood giants George Clooney and Sandra Bullock). Whovians living in Australia and New Zealand haven’t disappointed either: 70,000 fans made it to the cinema to watch Doctor Who on Sunday and the cinema box office takings totaled AU$1.54m.

Official worldwide cinema revenue brought the BBC nearly $10.2 million (£6.25m) , which is an excellent result for just a several days of screenings. Amanda Hill, the chief brands officer for BBC Worldwide commented on the huge success: “We organized the global cinema events to give the fans an opportunity to get together and enjoy a unique moment in Doctor Who history as one. It also gave those same fans who didn’t have 3D TVs [at home] a chance to see the special in its biggest and most amazing form. We had no idea that there would be such a demand at the global box office. This demonstrates how huge the show remains in the UK and how far it’s come internationally over the last few years.” Very well said.

4.TWITTER – Celebrities love Twitter. Almost all actors, producers and crew members involved in the making of “The Day of the Doctor” have an official Twitter account or are represented by an agency or fanclub. We are attaching a small list of Twitter accounts below, just in case if you’d like to follow them. Now, one thing you need to know about Twitter is that they are very methodical and count every hashtag, tweet and re-tweet. Weekly updates are published on company’s official account in the form of a screenshot or a very neat looking chart. Twitter can predict average number of tweets for every occasion: Christmas, important event, international tragedy, elections or even a TV drama premieres and season finals. According to Twitter, a popular TV show (drama category includes crime, soap, daily soap operas, s-f, police procedures, political fiction and medical genres) gathers around 20-25.000 tweets while the episode is still broadcast on the telly and then roughly additional 20.000 tweets after the episodes has ended. If the episode ends in a cliff-hanger (just like a mid season finale of “The Walking Dead”), the number of tweets can rise to 60-70.000, which is considered an extremely good result and guarantee a place in Drama Top Ten . Well established and acclaimed series like Newsroom, Scandal, Broadwalk Empire , Dexter, Glee, House MD, Downton abbey and Broadchurch (starring David Tennant) receive even greater number of mentions – between 100.000 and 260.000.

Second Sync official Twitter results after the broadcast of anniversary episode “The Day of The Doctor”

Those numbers are nothing compared to what happened on Twitter when the Doctor arrived on November 23^rd. We will be brief: it was like a supernova had exploded in the same heart of the Twitterverse, sending all other titles and mentions into the black hole. Doctor Who fans have sent nearly 3000 tweets per minute during the morning and afternoon and 12.939 tweets per minute after the show ended. There was 442,692 tweets in general, 227,147 additional tweets with the official hash tag #SaveTheDay (that excludes 61,319 times when SaveTheDay has been mentioned during the episode’s run), nearly 30.000 #DoctorWho, and 35.000 with #TheDayofTheDoctor. The most retweeted message of the evening (shared 4,171 times to be exact) came from the official Doctor Who Account, @bbcdoctorwho, and was very brief. One single word, nine letters and a galaxy of emotions. Yep, you have guessed it, it was “Geronimo!”

Right after the Day of the Doctor has ended, we tuned onto Twitter to find that “Save the Day” and “Gallifrey Falls No More” were trending worldwide. There were thousands of tweets coming from all corners of the web and we have to admit it felt like taking part into some extraordinary. Also, we weren’t a bit surprised when few days after airing of the Anniversary episode a new planet has been discovered and a petition was started to call it Gallirey. Twitter immediately picked up the story and fans started to send each other the link. If you still haven’t signed it, please do Doctor a favor and add your name to it 😉

http://www.change.org/en-AU/petitions/international-astronomical-union-to-rename-the-newly-discovered-planet-hd-106906-b-to-gallifrey-in-honour-of-doctor-who-and-its-50-years-even-if-it-s-just-a-second-name-or-officially-recognised-as-also-known-as-gallifrey-gallifreyfound

Darth Vader would have said not to underestimate the power of the dark side, but we say, don’t underestimate the power of hash tags. Even the Doctors knows it. In his own words: ” “It’s 2013. Hashtags are a big deal!”. Remember about that!

Doctor Who on Twitter:

BBC UK Doctor Who official Twitter: @bbcdoctorwho
BBC America Doctor Who account: @DoctorWho_BBCA
Peter Davison ‏ – @PeterDavison5
Sylvester McCoy ‏ – @SylvesterMcCoy
Colin Baker – ‏ @SawbonesHex
Paul McGann ‏ – @pauljmcgann
Peter Capaldi – @CapaldiOfficial
David Tennant – @David_Tennant
John Hurt – @WithJohnHurt
Billie Piper – @billiepiper
Freema Agyeman ‏ – @FreemaOfficial
Jenna Louis Coleman – @officialJ_L_C
Steven Moffat – @Steven_moffat (not updated since June)
Karen Gillian – @KarenGillan2
Arthur Darvill – @RattyBurvil

5. DVD/BLUERAY – After the premiere of “The Day of The Doctor” pre-orders for DVD and BluRay went through the roof. In 24 hours, the official DVD that was marked for UK release on 2nd of December became number one on ITunes, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, HMV, Waterstones and WHSmith’s and other online stores. According to official charts released for each e-shop, the sale of the DVD (and now BluRay released on 10th of December) is still going great: “The Day of The Doctor” is currently at number 3 for HMV, number 5 for WHSmith’s, number 6 for Waterstones and Amazon, and number 10 for Barnes and Noble. The anniversary episode is also highly ranked at Christmas pre-order list according to play.com (number3).
Official sales statistic will be released after the new year and we will try to update this column as soon as we get them.

We have picked up our copies last week and the quality is amazing. The DVD/BluRay contains feature length anniversary episode, 2 mini-episodes including the explosive Night of the Doctor starring Paul McGann, Doctor Who Explained, Behind the lens and more. We love the fact that “The Night of the Doctor” is now advertised with a special sticker on the cover. Well, better see for yourself:

Picture of our copy of “The Day of the Doctor” with sticker advertising the mini episode starring Paul McGann

BEFORE (“THE TIME OF THE DOCTOR”)

With 18 days left till Christmas Day, there is enough of time for BBC to plan their next marketing campaign. If you follow BBC Entertainment and BBC America social network channels, you can easily identify that they are slowly building interest in the last episode with Matt Smith by using a very subtle techniques that experts call ” velvet punches”.

Matt Smith as the Doctor taking a call inside the TARDIS. Somehow, we are not convinced that he is ordering a pizza…

Velvet punch or a punch in a velvet glow reminds us a little bit of a drip feeding (thanks Matt for the wonderful description!) Basically, you deliver a tiny bit of news to your subscribers or viewers. For example you can “accidentally” leak a name of a new character or a new foe in an interview with a cast or makers, unexpectedly publish new picture or a screen or just post a new hash tag revealing something else that’s truly important. Dropping small bombs and heating the atmosphere requires commitment and persistence, but it will pay off big time in the end.

Please take a look at the brilliant short videos below. The first one is an innocent looking good bye video with Matt Smith and the other is classic teaser trailer. Excellent work you have to admit!

Matt Smith has thanked his fans with this video (uploaded on 21 st of June 2013, on the last day of shooting):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zh82XUhjNbM

BBC1 posted a new Christmas program trailer that features four new scenes from the upcoming Christmas Special episode.
It will be broadcasted on 25th of December at 7:30 PM GMT:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1e79HKx3a-o

(UPDATE) As time goes by, you can add more and more details, in small doses of course! BBC team are experts at creating artistic hints and red flags in form of new screenshots with the most important quotes from the trailer. Just 4 days ago, they have released a new, longer trailer that stands at 30 seconds. Releasing the video sent shock waves through Facebook and Twitter: fans analyzed every uttered word, debated at the correct grammar and even few tears have been shed upon hearing the Daleks announcing the Doctor’s regeneration. New trailer has now almost 500.000 views on BBC America’s Youtube channel:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GhY-ds2Kfk

Below you can find examples of screenshots with the quotes that are posted each day at Doctor Who Official Facebook. Viva for simple but effective marketing!
You can see 16 high res pictures from Christmas Special here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/galleries/p01nbgq7

Irish actress Orla Brady as galactic nun Tasha Lem. Despite the popular belief, the quote is grammatically correct

Matt Smith’s as the 11th Doctor walking around a town called Christmas… that will not end well

The most important quote from the trailer. Matt Smith will be missed

If screens or daily pictures with a quote are not enough, you can try a different technique. Also a slow-teasing torture, but at least you give them something to read (but don’t expect them to reveal anything important, they are just talk, no action!). Every few days, BBC has been releasing short interviews with cast and producers. Topics discussed varies from direct spoilers, famous last words, plot ideas and plans for the future. You can read several of the interviews on the official blog. Just look at the titles:

Interview with Steve Moffat:
http://www.doctorwho.tv/whats-new/article/moffat-teases-christmas-last-lines-and-peter-capaldi

Interview with Jenna Coleman:
http://www.doctorwho.tv/whats-new/article/jenna-coleman-on-an-emotional-christmas-special

Interview with Matt Smith:
http://www.doctorwho.tv/whats-new/article/matt-smith-the-doctor-goes-out-with-a-bang

Interview with Orla Brady:
http://www.doctorwho.tv/whats-new/article/orla-brady-on-galactic-nun-tasha-lem

Be assured, the closer we get to the 25th of December, the hotter the marketing campaign will get. You will see a new hash tags being introduced, new pictures released and new detailed leaked. Twitter, Facebook and other social sites will be going crazy (after all the Doctor is a madman in a box!) and everybody will have a great Christmas. So sit back and relax. Another countdown has begun!

And if you cannot wait, here’s some turkey to sate your appetite!

Christmas dinner anybody?

Have a great time!
XXX
Rita and Malicia Dabrowicz

Vanadian Avenue

Passion, knowledge and desire to create

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Doctor Who: After and Before

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